Rescue carriage



March 12, 1968 E. s. DOERING .RESCUE CARRIAGE Filed Oct. 21, 1966 FIG 3INVENTOR. EM-IL S DOERING v ATTORNEYS Q United States Patent 3,372,405RESCUE CARRIAGE Emil S. Doering, Rte. 2, Box 2093, Oroville, Calif.95965 Filed Oct. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 588,489 Claims. (Cl. 581) ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE An elongated rescue carriage having a support thereonon which a prone injured person is adapted to be supported and secured,and which carriage includes groundengaging wheels for movement over theground or against a side of a cliff, in a direction longitudinally ofthe carriage. A rope connected at one end with power actuated means onthe carriage is adapted to extend to a remote stationary point and powermeans on the carriage actuates said power actuated means for moving thecarriage along the rope to said remote point.

This invention relates to a rescue carriage, and has for one of itsobjects the provision of a carriage including means for securing adisabled person thereto for transporting such person over the ground,and for elevating such person with safety, including the person makingthe rescue where the disabled person has fallen from a cliff or ledge orhas fallen into a shaft or pit.

Where a person has been disabled by falling from a cliff or into ashaft, pit, or the like, and there is no ready access to such personexcept by means of a lowered rope, or stretcher, it has been customaryto strap such person to a stretcher and to hoist the stretcher by meansof a rope. However, the hoisting of such person and stretcher has eitherbeen by means of persons or by a mechanical hoist at the top of thecliff or pit. A helper may first be lowered by a rope to strap thedisabled person to the stretcher that may be attached to the same rope,after which, the stretcher with the disabled person secured thereto maybe elevated. The rope usually chafes against rocks or hard ground as itis drawn up with the stretcher attached thereto, and the stretcher mayrotate when freely suspended, or may be dragged across the face of thecliff or side of a shaft, or may hang against such face or side if freeto swing or rotate, to the further injury of the person strapped to thestretcher. Furthermore, usually a number of persons are required toeffect the rescue.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a rescuecarriage and means associated therewith for overcoming theabove-mentioned objections.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description anddrawings.

In the description, FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the rescue carriage.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the carriage. FIG. 3 is an endelevational view of the carriage of FIGS. 1, 2 as seen from the rightend of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view at line 4-4 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view at line 55 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view at line 6-6 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a clutch mechanism for thewinch.

' In detail, the carriage of FIG. 1 comprises a pair of corresponding,horizontally spaced, opposed, horizontally elongated frames generallydesignated 1, each comprising parallel, vertically spaced, horizontallyextending frame members 2, 3 (FIG. 2), the former being uppermost, and

Patented Max-.12, 1968 U-bends 4 connect the corresponding ends of themembers 2, 3 at each side of the carriage.

A row of ground wheels 5, along each of the members 3, support thecarriage for movement over the ground when the carriage is generallyhorizontally disposed, and support the carriage against the side of acliff, pit, or shaft when the carriage .is generally vertical and ishoisted or lowered by a rope. These wheels are preferably rotatablysupported on shafts disposed adjacent to the junctures between the lowerends of posts 7 that, in turn, extend between the upper and lower framemembers 2, 3 along each side of the carriage, and which posts are rigidwith said frame members at their ends. The posts 7 are in a row alongeach side of the carriage and the end posts of each row preferably areconnected at their ends with members 2, 3 at approximately the juncturesbetween the U-bends 4 and said members, hence the lower curved portionsof the U-bends may engage any obstructions on the side of a cliff orshaft to slidably guide the leading end of the carriage onto the wheelswhen the carriage is either lowered or raised.

Horizontal cross frame members 8 (FIG. 1) extend between and areconnected at their ends with the posts 7 of opposed pairs thereof. Thesecross frame members may also be in vertically spaced pairs extendingbetween each pair of opposed posts, as indicated in FIG. 2. Additionalconventional braces, trusses, gussets, etc. may be employed wherevernecessary for rigidity and strength.

The area between the upper frame members and the end cross frame member8 at the ends of the carriage is substantially oblong in outline and anoblong horizontally elongated stretcher generally designated 9, andhaving a frame 10 is adapted to be releasably held by straps 11 thatconnect the side pieces 13 of the stretcher frame to the upper sideframe members 2 of the carriage frame for releasably suspending thestretcher from said side frame members and for also holding thestretcher in position relative to the carriage frame when the latter isin a vertically extending position with a disabled person secured on thestretcher.

Said stretcher frame 10 is covered with an oblong flexible support 14,that is secured along its margins to frame 10, such as of duck or canvasonto which support a person is adapted to be held by straps 15 ofwebbing or the like that are connected to the side frame members 2.These web-straps 15 are each in two sections, each of which is connectedat one of its ends to a side frame member 2, and the other ends of thesections are adapted to be connected by a quick releasable clamp orbuckle 16.

The canvas or duck cover 14 for the stretcher frame is cut away wherethe straps 11 connect with side pieces 13, and the stretcher frame 10may have end pieces 17 connecting the ends of the side pieces. Thecanvas 14 along said end pieces may also be cut away at 12 to providehand openings for hands to grip the end pieces for lifting thestretcher.

The head of the carriage is the left-hand end as viewed in FIGS. 1, 2,while the foot is the opposite end. A person lying on the stretcherwould have his or her head adjacent to the head of the carriage, and onthe stretcher at the head end, while the feet would be on thestretcher'at the foot end. One of the web-straps 15 is positioned toextend across the chest and upper arms of a person while the other mayextend across the body below the hips. The number of straps for soholding a person onto the stretcher and carriage may, of course, varysince there is no obstacle to providing more straps along the side framemembers 2 if necessary or if desired. Each strap 15 is formed in twosections, each being secured at one end to one of the side frame members2, and their opposite ends being 7 3 connectable by quick releasebuckles or clamps 16 similar to those used on seat belts.

A horizontal platform 18 is rigid with the carriage, being secured toand extending between a pair of cross frame members 8 in a positionadjacent to the foot of the carriage and spaced below the stretcher. Asmall internal combustion engine 19 is secured on platform 18, whichengine may include a conventional gear or sprocket and chaintra'nsmision 20 (FIG. 1) for driving a winch 23, that, in turn ismounted on platform 18, and conventional clutch means 24 (FIGS. 1, 7)may be provided for connecting the winch with the engine for driving theWinch."

Any suitable manually actuatable control lever 26 (FIG. 2) preferablysupported at one side of the head end of the carriage (FIG. 2) isconnected by linkage 27 with a" friction clutch 24 for connecting anddisconnect ing the winch with the power driven shaft 31 and a foot pedal28 may be connected by linkage 29 with the winch for releasably holdingthe winch against unwinding when the clutch is disconnected and forcontrolling the descent of the carriage where it is being lowered fromabove and when the carriage is suspended from above, although suchdescent itself may be controlled by slipping the clutch 24. Such controlmeans in themselves are not new. A pawl 21 (FIG. 7) Secured on a rigidsupport on platforin 18 also is adapted to releasably engage teeth onthe clutch element secured to the winch as a safety measure forreleasably locking the winch against unwinding when the engine isstopped or the clutch is disconnected.

The thro'ttle on engine 19 is connected by any suitable linkage orconnection 30 with a manually actuatable control lever 33 on controlpanel 34 that is adjacent to the head end of the carriage and on oneside of the latter.

At the foot end of the carriage is a step 35 that projeots' laterallyfrom frame 1 when the frame extends vertically with the head enduppermost, and this step is to provide a support for a person who isperforming the rescue operation,- hence the foot pedal 28 is readily accessiblet'o a foot of such person, while the control levers 26; 33 arereadily accessible to a hand of the operator. The side members 2 provideconvenient means for either or both hands of an operator standing onstep 35.

A rope 36 of wire, nylon, hemp, or any other suitable material, isconnected with the winch drum 23 at one erid aiid eirterids successivelyover grooved idler rollers 37, 38 that are respectively rotatablycarried on shafts spaced below stretcher 9 and these shafts may providetwo of the cross members 8. Roller 38 is closer to the winch drum thanroller 37 and the rope is preferably reeved to extend over roller 37',then back to, and around roller 38, while any suitable yield'ablelevelling bar or guide 39 (FIG. 3) over which drum 23 will automaticallymaintain the rope wound thereon in axially aligned adjacantons. Roller38 is positioned substantially on the longitudinal axis of the carriageand therope 36 extends from said roller through a rope guide 40 (FIG. 2)post'- tioned at the front end of the carriage midway between the endsof a cross member 43 (FIG, 1) that, in turn is secured at its ends tothe U-bends that are at the forward or head end of the carriage midwaybetween the chds of said U-bends. p

A book '4", or any other suitable attaching means, is secured on theendof the rope 36 where it projects from the guide '40 outwardly ofthecarriage. v

In operation, assuming a disabled person is at the bottom "of a cliff orin a shaft or pit, one rescue operator, alone, having the rescuecarriage at the top of the cliff ma 'securehook 44 to a truck, 'tr'ee,post, or to any other stationary member, with the rope wound on thewinch and the carriage brake set. The operator then may take hisposition on "step 35 and release the brake and permit the carriage todescend to the disabled person. Whether or not the engine is startedbefore the descent or afterward, is at the option of the operator,although if started first, the clutch may be used to control thedescent. In any event the locking pawl 21 must be released before thewinch can be released for unwinding the rope 36.

At the bottom of the pit or cliff, or wherever the disabled person maybe, the latter is lifted onto the stretcher and is strapped thereto bythe web-belts 15. The operator may then start the engine and connect theclutch 24 for actuating the winch 23, and the carriage will be drawn tothe base of the cliff with the person thereon, if the latter is somedistance from the base. Then the carriage will be drawn up the side ofthe clilf or pit with wheels 5 against said side, as the rope is woundon the winch. The operator will be supported on the step 35 during theascent with one hand in a position to control the speed of the ascent,or to stop the engine, if necessary, and if the latter occurs, the winchwill, of course, be positively lockedagainst unwinding.

At the top of the cliff or pit, the carriage will be drawn over the edgeand the clutch may be disconnected or the engine stopped. The injuredperson may then be transported to a vehicle for transport to a hospitalor may be treated. I

It should be noted that the rope 36 is not chafed by this operation, andthe illustration of a one-man operation is merely to emphasize that theinvention provides means enabling such an operation. Obviously, severalpersons may use the device, and the provision of a detachable stretcherenables several persons to carry a patient to the carriage from adistance, or to carry the injured person a distance from the carriage toan ambulance or vehicle,- should the circumstances require it, withoutremoving the patient from the stretcher 9. Inwardly extendingprojections 42 (FIG. 4), rigid with the upper side frame members '2,enable the stretcher 9 to be supported by said frame members in aposition for strapping the stretcher to the carriage.

The provision of engine 19 at the foot end of the carriage, and adjacentto the step 35 on which the operator is adapted to stand, provides asubstantial weight at the lower end of the carriage when the latter isbeing hoisted, and the point of connection between rope 36 is adjacentto the engine, rather than at the head end of the stretcher. Thisarrangement, in combination with the position of the rope guide 40materially stabilizes the carriage while it is, suspended during anascent or descent, since it is adapted to lower a disabled person from aheight, as well as carry them upwardly;

The hook 44 may be similar to a grappling hook for automatically digginginto the soil or ground, or for engaging rocks, a stump or other meansmay be available in an emergency.

It is obvious that the rescue device is equally applicable for drawingthe carriage up gradual or up steep inclines, as well as for freesuspension of the device by the rope from or past an overhang, and forlowering the carriage from a height.

Different conventional arrangements for the control of the engine andhoist may be used. This type illustrated is not to be consideredrestrictive.

While I have illustrated and described the invention in detail, I do notwish to limit myself to the precise details so shown and described, butdesire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as may comewithin the scope 'of the appended claims;

I claim:

1. A rescue device comprising; I

(a) an elongated carriage having a head end and a foot end respectivelyat opposite ends thereof and an elongated support thereon adapted tosupport a disabled person prone thereon with the head of such person atsaid head end and with the feet at said foot end,

(b) ground wheels rotatably supported on said carriage adapted to engagethe ground below said support when said carriage and support aregenerally horizontal, or to engage the side of a cliff or pit at oneside of said support when said frame is generally vertically extendingor inclined relative to horizontal with said head end elevated, andmeans supporting said wheels on said carriage in positions spacing saidsupport and said frame from said ground or side of a cliff or pit uponmovement of said carriage longitudinally thereof, when said wheels arein rollable engagement with said ground or the side of a cliff,

(c) a rope of sufficient length to extend from said carriage when thelatter is at the base of a cliff or the like to the top of such clifi,

(d) power actuated means on said carriage in a position spaced betweensaid support and such cliff when said wheels space said support from theside of such cliff, and power means on said carriage connected with saidpower actuated means for actuating the latter to move said carriagealong said rope, suspended from the latter, with said carriage in agenerally vertically extending position and said head end leading,

(e) manually actuatable control means on said carriage connected withsaid power actuated means for controlling actuation of the latter, saidcontrol means being in a position on said carriage for access to a handof an operator in standing position on said carriage alongside thelatter when the latter is in said generally vertically extendingposition,

(f) means on said carriage for supporting an operator in said standingposition alongside said support.

2. In a device as defined in claim 1;

(5;) means for supporting said power means adjacent to one end of saidcarriage,

(h) guide means on said carriage at the head end thereof in a positionsubstantially centrally between the opposite lateral sides of saidcarriage and in a plane spaced between said support and the side of acliff against which wheels are adapted to engage when said carriage issuspended generally vertically for retaining said rope at said head endsubstantially centrally between the opposite lateral sides of saidcarriage for retaining said rope at said head end substantiallycentrally between said opposite lateral sides free from engagement withsaid support and a person on the latter during movement of said devicealong said rope,

(i) rope attaching means outwardly of said carriage and guide means forreleasably securing the end of said rope outwardly of said guide meansand carriage to a stationary object resistant to movement underthetension of said rope as said carriage is moved along said rope byactuation of said power actuated means.

3. In a device as defined in claim 1;

g) said carriage including a spaced opposed pair of side framesextending from end to end of said carriage disposed in parallel planeseach having an elongated upper frame member and an elongated lower framemember of substantially the same length extending longitudinally of saidframes,

(h) said support comprising an elongated stretcher separable from saidcarriage disposed between said upper frame members and including astretcher frame,

(i) means for releasably securing said stretcher frame to said sideframe members,

(j) means for releasably securing a disabled person prone on saidelongated suport in a position extending longitudinally of saidcarriage,

(k) and in a position spaced from rope, power means and power actuatedmeans.

4. In a device as defined in claim 1;

(g) said carriage including a spaced, opposed pair of side framesextending from end to end of said carriage disposed in parallel planeseach having an elongated upper frame member and an elongated lower framemember of substantially the same length extending longitudinally of saidframes, and U-bends in each of said frames connecting oppositecorresponding ends of said frame members of each side frame with theconvex sides of said U-bends facing oppositely outwardly,

(h) said ground wheel being in rows respectively positioned along eachof said lower side frame members,

(i) the space between said lower side frame members being unobstructedand free from engagement with projections on the ground or side of aclifi upon movement of said carriage over the ground or up the side ofsuch cliff when said wheels are in engagement with said ground and theside of such cliff.

5. A rescue device comprising;

(a) an elongated frame having a flexible support of sheet materialthereon extending longitudinally thereof for supporting a disabledperson prone thereon,

(b) means for releasably securing such person on said support,

(0) a pair of parallel rows of wheels on said frame for supporting saidframe for movement longitudinally thereof on the ground or against theside of a cliff and the space between said rows of wheels being free forunobstructed passage of projections on the ground or on the side of acliff therepast upon side longitudinal movement of said frame,

(at) said frame having a head end at one end thereof and a foot end atthe opposite end,

(e) power means carried on said frame at said foot end in a positionspaced below said support and at a level above said wheels, andsupporting means on said frame for supporting said power means in saidposition,

(f) a winch on said supporting means connected with said power means forrotating said winch, and

g) a rope connected with said winch for winding thereon and forunwinding therefrom, said rope extending from said winch being spacedbelow said support and extending toward and past said head end forconnection with a stationary sup ort,

(h) guide means on said frame at said head end for guiding said ropepast said head end outwardly thereof in a direction longitudinally ofsaid frame,

(i) means on the said rope for connecting the end thereof that extendsoutwardly of said head end to a stationary support,

(j) control means connected with said power means and supported on saidframe actnatable for controlling said power means,

(k) means on said foot end of said frame for supporting an operatorthereon in standing position when said frame extends vertically withsaid foot end lowermost during movement of said frame upon actuation ofsaid winch with the said rope extending past said guide means to anattachment above said frame,

(1) means on said frame for manual grasping by an operator in saidstanding position, said means for supporting said operator being adaptedto suport said operator in a position facing said flexible support andfacing a person secured on such support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,972,755 2/1961 Abel 5-823,251,435 5/ 1966 Fisher 182-142 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,103,891 11/1955France.

414,940 6/ 1925 Germany.

CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner.

